News

A juror caught reading a golf magazine during a robbery trial has been fined for contempt. David Barron, 60, found himself in the dock at Southampton Crown Court after browsing bargain golf clubs from the jury box.

The High Court has refused an application to increase a compensation award for a boy who developed narcolepsy and cataplexy after receiving the swine flu vaccine. The court had previously approved the general terms of a settlement agreement in November 2020 between the boy and the defendants, but th

Restaurants are gearing up for a court battle over insurance pay-outs linked to Covid-19 following last month's landmark ruling in favour of pub owners. The High Court last month ruled that FBD Insurance was required to cover the losses of four pub owners for the enforced closure of business during

A fresh public consultation on the ongoing review of the Mental Health Act 2001 has been launched in advance of new legislation. The 2001 Act has been under review since 2011 and a public consultation was held prior to the publication of an expert group report in 2015.

Barrister Fionnuala McGee BL has been appointed to the Optical Registration Board for a four-year term. The Optical Registration Board, part of CORU, reviews and approves qualifications for optometrists and dispensing opticians.

Derry-based McCay Solicitors has announced the appointment of Charlene McNabb and Sara Plower as associate solicitors in its probate and property department. Ms McNabb is an experienced solicitor with expertise in all kinds of residential sales and purchases, drafting wills, enduring powers of attor

The widow of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane has issued fresh proceedings in the High Court in Belfast three months after the UK government refused to order a fresh public inquiry into the 1998 killing. The UK Supreme Court ruled in February 2019 that the state had failed to deliver an Article 2 com

The UK government's review of the Human Rights Act "presents significant potential risks to stability and peace in Northern Ireland", experts at Queen's University Belfast have said. In a 19-page submission, QUB Human Rights Centre said the review is "widely perceived here as the latest in a long li

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has called for a further investigation into a Facebook group for prison officers which allegedly includes racist and anti-Traveller material. The Irish Times reported last week that the Irish Prison Service (IPS) has again asked the social media giant to remove th

The family of an Irish-born woman have won the right to include an Irish language epitaph without an English translation on her gravestone in Coventry. Margaret Keane, who was born in Co Meath but lived in Coventry since the 1950s, was widely known for her dedication to the GAA in the UK.

A first-of-its-kind vegan-friendly barrister's wig made from hemp instead of horsehair has been showcased by an English barrister. Samuel March, a pupil barrister at 5 Paper Buildings, modelled the "prototype" in a tweet which went viral over the weekend.

A plastic surgeon who appeared in a virtual trial while operating on a patient is facing an ethics investigation. Dr Scott Green, from Sacramento, California, insisted he was "available for trial" as he appeared in the dock from an operating room wearing scrubs and surrounded by beeping medical equi

The High Court has dismissed a bankrupt’s application to show cause against his adjudication after he refused to attend a remote hearing despite being at his computer and sending emails to the court. The court also granted an application by the Official Assignee to extend the period of bankrup

Plans to phase out the direct provision system of accommodation for asylum seekers by 2024 have been set out by the government in a white paper published this morning. Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman, whose portfolio includes the direct provision system, said the new system will be run "on a no

Ireland's data protection watchdog handled over 10,000 cases last year, a nine per cent increase on the previous year. The Data Protection Commission's annual report for 2020 reveals that the watchdog handled a total of 10,151 cases last year, up from 9,337 in 2019.